13 Students Awarded in Arts & Letters Undergraduate Research Conference

Mark Harris, senior philosophy major from Mobile, Ala. and Anna Todd, a sophomore history major from Ridgeland, Miss.

Thirteen University of Southern Mississippistudents put their research know-how to the test and took home top awards and prizes from the 2nd Annual College of Arts and Letters Undergraduate Research Conference held Saturday, April 16 on the Hattiesburg campus.

From 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., students presented research from various categories of the liberal arts disciplines. Students presented their research or project for 15 - 20 minutes orally. First-place winners received a $500 prize; second-placers got a certificate and a handshake. The best in show winners Anna Todd, sophomore History major from Ridgeland, Miss. and Mark Harris, senior philosophy major from Mobile, Ala. received a prize of $700.

"I was impressed by the care that went into judging, and I know the students at the conference are grateful for the support and encouragement they received from faculty members who were willing to give up a big chunk of Saturday to moderate panels," said Dr. Phyllis Jestice, chair and professor for the Department of History. This conference was sponsored by the Department of History and Jestice served as coordinator.

Harris and Todd, who are both Honors Collegestudents, described the conference experience as intense, but necessary for liberal arts majors. “This is my second time presenting at a conference. As a history major, I’m going to have to do this a lot especially when I go off to graduate school, so I wanted to get some experience presenting papers and research now,” Todd explained.

Her paper, “Spirited Belles and Selfless Mothers: A Generational Analysis of Women in the Civil War South” won first place in two separate categories, best paper dealing with a gender issue and best paper dealing with a government, political or military topic, in addition to winning best in show.

“The money I won is going towards graduate school,” said Todd, who is also a 2011 recipient of the John E. Gonzales scholarship awarded by the Department of History.

Harris presented research on the 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant and the rule of categorical imperative. In his paper, “Examining Moral Necessity in the Kantian Categorical Imperative,” Harris questions whether or not Kant’s rule should be followed.

“This was an excerpt out of my undergraduate thesis,” Harris explained. He was recently accepted into law school at the University of Alabama and plans to enter in the fall.

“My conclusion was no, you do not have to follow Kant’s rule. This was my third time presenting research, I had a very tough commentator, but it was a good experience,” he continued.